Bankhead Cemetery: Joel Mathews Sings

Decoration Day

Memorial Day is an official holiday in most states of the United States. It was observed on May 30 until 1971, when for federal employees, the date was changed to the last Monday in May. With the exception of Louisiana, all states observing Memorial Day adopted the change. It is also known as Decoration Day.

The custom of placing flowers on the graves of the war began on May 5, 1866, in Waterloo, NY, and Waterloo has been recognized by Congress as the official birthplace of Memorial Day. In 1868, Gen. John A. Logan, then president of the Grand Army of the Republic, declared that May 30 would be a day to decorate with "flowers the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion."

After World War I the day was set aside to honor all of the American wars, and the custom was extended to pay homage to deceased relatives and friends, both military and civilian. The most solemn ceremony conducted on Memorial Day is the placing of a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns located in Arlington national Cemetery.

Some Southern states observe Confederate Memorial Day – April 26 in Georgia, the last Monday in April in Alabama and Mississippi, and May 10 in South Carolina. Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina do not observe the general holiday, and in Virginia the last Monday in May is called “Confederate Memorial Day." [From the Encyclopedia Americana, 1991 edition]

History of Mentone

The first Lookout Mountain settlers arrived shortly after the Cherokee Indian removal of 1838-1839. These pioneers had been too late for homesteading the good farmland in northwest Georgia. They now turned their attention to Lookout Mountain. With stubborn determination they put their axes to the grindstone and with a keen edge hacked their way through the mountain wilderness. They chopped logs and built primitive houses, cleared land for patch farming, and hunted the abundant wildlife for food. Among these early settlers were the families of Force, O’Rear, Crow, Jones, Smith, and Hammit.

For years not much changed in their lives. Times were hard. During the Civil War Federal troops were on the mountain. They dealt severely with the settlers taking their animals and meager stores of food. Still these hearty souls managed to survive and remain on their homesteads.

In the post Civil War era more affluent settlers arrived. Among these was the Mason family from Bellefountain, Iowa. They were great community workers and generous with their resources. John Mason and his son Edward were the founders of Mentone. John was instrumental in the opening of the Vernon Gap and the new road from Valley Head to Menlo, Georgia in 1882. John and Edward bought the hardware for the covered bridge and the community did the work. Edward gave money for a church and a school. They shared Moon Lake for community activities. Alice, daughter of John, named the town Mentone and gave the land for Bankhead Cemetery.

Mentone eventually became incorporated in 1936. Those opposed to incorporation feared losing their independence and higher taxes. The threat of becoming part of nearby towns convinced a majority to support incorporation.

Despite great progress in Mentone since its founding, the advice of John Mason still has a ring of truth. “Don’t come here expecting to make a fortune, but if your fortune is made, Mentone offers the good life.”

(Ernest H. Smith)

Bankhead Cemetery

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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Joel Mathews Sings

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